New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday slammed Pakistan for opening provoking tension and fuelling protests in the Kashmir valley.
"Pakistan has been openly trying to provoke and fuel tensions in Kashmir valley," Mehbooba Mufti told reporters after her meeting with PM Narendra Modi.
"PM Modi, like all of us, is very concerned with the situation in Jammu and Kashmir", Mehbooba said.
The Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said that the situation in Kashmir has been bad since 2008.
"The UPA government had ignored the situation after the 2008 unrest. But PM Modi is trying to resolve the situation," she said.
Mehbooba praised PM Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh for taking initiatives to start a dialouge with Pakistan.
"PM Modi reached out to Pakistan, went to Lahore, but then Pathankot happened. Home minister Rajnath Singh also went to Islambad. Unfortunately, Pakistan has repeatedly given up chances to talk and resolve the issue of violence in Kashmir," the J&K CM said.
"Now, it is time for Pakistan to respond if it wants peace in Kashmir," she added.
Meantime, Mehbooba also urged Separatists to come forward and help the state government in saving lives of innocent youth in the state.
"As a mother, I am pained to see that kids are being told to go out and stone police stations. Will stone-pelting solve the issue," she asked.
This is the first meeting between the Prime Minister and Mehbooba after the protests erupted in the valley following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani, who was killed in an encounter with the security forces on July 8.
